Beating Broncos would serve Cable well

News, notes and observations heading into the Raiders game Sunday in Denver against the Broncos:

— The Broncos have not only proved to be an accurate litmus test for how the Raiders will fare in some seasons, but served as an opponent beleaguered coaches can use to save their jobs.

When the Raiders put a 31-10 beating on the Broncos at Invesco Field last Nov. 23, it helped along a slump which ended with the firing of Mike Shanahan and helped the case of Tom Cable in terms of removing “interim” from his job title.

The last two games of the season against Houston and Tampa Bay sealed the deal, but Al Davis probably would have made up his mind before then if the Raiders had been spanked the the Broncos.

By contrast, Lane Kiffin’s tenure was over the moment the Raiders embarrassed themselves 41-14 in their Monday night opener against Denver, although Davis waited three more games to build his case and warm up the overhead projector.

Davis, already ticked off by Kiffin’s defiance, may have ousted him after one year had it not been for two games against Denver. In Week 2, the Raiders lost 23-20 in a game they would have won had Sebastian Janikowski not plunked an upright. The Raiders beat the Broncos in the rematch 34-20 in the Coliseum, the best game of the Kiffin regime.

Art Shell, 0-2 against Denver, was gone after one year. Norv Turner, 1-3, lasted two seasons, including a Broncos sweep by a score of 55-20 in 2005. Bill Callahan’s AFC champions beat the Broncos twice in 2002, but his fate was probably sealed the next year in the “Dumbest Team in America” loss to Denver.

— Nnamdi Asomugha gets his hopes up every Sunday that he’ll be challenged repeatedly. Considering that Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall normally lines up on the same side as Asomugha, he could get his wish.

Marshall caught an NFL record 21 passes in a loss to Indianapolis last week, gaining 200 yards. Last season, Marshall had an 18-catch game against San Diego, giving him two of the top four singe-game reception totals in NFL history.

“He’s the `X’ usually and comes out to the right side, so I’ll probably see a lot of him,” Asomugha said Friday. “I mean, he got 21, he dropped three, so this is a game where you go in and you know the ball is coming, so you have a chance at making plays.”

Considering the number of hitch routes, bubble screens and the like the Broncos throw to Marshall, the key is limited the yardage because receptions are inevitable.

“He’s going to get his,” Asomugha said. “I mean, if you throw at him 30 times, he’s going to get something out of that. That’s what you saw last week . . . I’ve said for the last two or three years he’s one of teh toughest guys to bring down after the catch, along with (Anquan) Boldin and Steve Smith. That’s why they give him the screens and shorter routes and stuff likethat. You have to gang tackle him.”

— Asomugha, one of the most observant and analytical players you’ll ever talk to, had some interesting observations on Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels, the former Patriots coordinator who took over for Shanahan.

In the Shanahan years, the Broncos were predictable in terms of how they were going to attack, but in their good years so flawless in terms of execution they were difficult to stop.

The Broncos would have only a few runs in their playbook, with a bread-and-butter stretch play, designed for backs to make one cut in a zone blocking scheme and head up field.

Those plays were mixed in with a passing game heavy with bootlegs and rollouts, with a lot of involvement from the tight ends. It was a system Kiffin copied and the Raiders used extensively in 2007, with Cable altering things in terms of depth of receivers and the like after taking over as interim coach.

Under McDaniels, the Denver offense, according to offense, has been like chameleon.

“A lot of coordinators have their basic plays, regardless of who they’re playing against,” Asomugha said. “But this is a guy, you watch the film from last week and it looks nothing like the film from the week before, or the week before that. Every week is different.

“He came out against New England, we’d never seen them in a wildcat. But he knew Miami had got New England a year or so bak, and he knew it would work. There were some things he’s done against us that he’s never done the rest of the year that worked. Shanahan would do what he does, sometimes have different people doing it. That’s how he’d get you. But with Josh, it’s completely new every week.

“Those are the guys you love to face, because it’s the fun of the game. You have to be really focused.”

— A rarity Sunday _ the Raiders and 49ers will be on television locally at the same time. The 49ers game was moved to the later time slot because of weather conditions in Philadelphia. The attempts to never have teams in the same market compete against each other when it makes up the schedule.

Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer

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SOME PEOPLE CAN NOT HELP BEING,OVERBEARING PHYSCO-ANALTZING IDIOT’S,THINK THEY KNOW-IT ALL PEST’S..

4evaRaider

Thanks 4 the advice Pete,I think I’ll take it =)

4evaRaider

Hey Dirt-Lot Bro….the Broncos are going down hard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ENGLANDRAIDER

Young guy says to an old guy, “How old are women when they finally get of menapause”?
Old guy says, “164”.

But I shouldn’t say sexist jokes like that, broads don’t like it.

4evaRaider

well Have a nice evening NATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DIRT-LOT FOOTBALL

HEY 4EVA, WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST TIME THE RAIDER’S WENT INTO DENVER AN UDER-DOG ,AND COME AWAY WINNER’S. WOULD KOVE 2 SEE IT.

ENGLANDRAIDER

Man, I’m too pizzed to tell an old joke!

Life is sweet.

ENGLANDRAIDER

Take it easy 4eva!

lefty12

as long as Frye doesn’t get hurt and the anchor doesn’t play,we have a chance to win this week-any week for that matter.while we have holes and aren’t a great team,we aren’t as bad as we seem when the anchor plays.

Richochet

4evaRaider Says:
December 19th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
like I said before Richochet….

For you to know how much I am on here you gotta be on here to.I dont see you musc,so that mean you are hiding,lurking,stalking.Like I said you IDIOT be carefull what you say in your words,because you reveal a lot about your self.And what you reveal is VERY DISTURBING
====================
Let’s pretend that made ANY sense.
Ok..let’s not, because it doesn’t.
Want to see how ignorant your sorryass sounds?

You’re stating that I HAVE TO ACTUALLY BE ONLINE AT 3 AM IN ORDER TO HAVE SCANNED THROUGH POSTS FROM THAT TIME???

Think about it, moron..lol..this is the second time you’ve stated that the ONLY WAY I WOULD KNOW THAT YOU LIVE HERE…ALL….DAY….LONG..is to be here that whole time.

Let me ask again…YOU DON’T HAVE A SINGLE INTEREST IN LIFE EXCEPT FOR THIS BOARD??

Ever hear of a library, 4evaDumb??
Ever play a sport, 4evaLazy?
Ever have a relationship?
Ever do anything?

Apparently not..so..Gomer..just doesn’t get much sadder..than you.
That’s just a fact.

Richochet

# Florida Pete Says:
December 19th, 2009 at 6:04 pm

4evaRaider Says:
December 19th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
like I said before Richochet….

For you to know how much I am on here you gotta be on here to.I dont see you musc,so that mean you are hiding,lurking,stalking.Like I said you IDIOT be carefull what you say in your words,because you reveal a lot about your self.And what you reveal is VERY DISTURBING

if you decide to read his crap… don’t respond…
=====================================

You read EVERY SINGLE ONE..you’ve proven that over and over and over. You’ll reply to others, referring to me, in the 3rd person. You’ll state you don’t read me, while QUOTING ME, then state you had no idea what I said.
All in all, all you’ve perfected is letting everyone know that at ONE TIME you borrowed someone’s balls, got shot down, and immediately returned them.

Yeah, lol..I know. Now, get back to doing the ONLY thing you’re capable of..which is wondering “Duh…uh…WHO ARE WE GOING TO DRAFT??”…

now shut up before you hurt yourself..again.

SaintKaufman

Wow,
What a bunch of chicks!

Go Raiders!

http://MSN TonyTwizz

I know this might sound corny but the Raiders have shown they can beat good teams…although I do wish it was more consistantly

CaptainBlack

Richoshyte, likes to play tough guy on the keyboard. Oh how I wish the lil turd was in front of me now. Whimpering lil turd. Your Momma said you are angry becaue you are hung like a hummingbird and no woman will have you, so you go and vent on blogs acting like you got a pair. Only problem is puzzies like you are all the same.

CaptainBlack

Come on Richoshyte, get those fingers limbered up, puzzy.

CaptainBlack

Richoshyte critisizing others for posting on a blog? Now that is shyte calling crap stinky. Hey, boy, come out and play.

I just hope Frye does more running than throwing today. Just move the chains, run the clock as much as possible and hope our defense can give us some points.
The running game and Sea Bass is the only way to win this game.

Go Raiders!

BlackSunday32

Come on beat Denver and if Frye goes down put Lechler in he can move in the pocket better than Russell and just as accurate!

4evaRaider

I think Marshall thinks he is the man now.Nothing like Nnamdi to bring him back down to earth

BlackSunday32

I don’t know 4eva Marshall is sick he may go right at Nhamdi should be a good match-up.